Ghost in the Machine
by betsybugaboo
Summary: Stuck working desk work, Josuke receives strange and frightening messages and video on his computer. This spurs him to venture to a cemetery at night, to "dig up" a little evidence. But is he just digging his own grave?


Yeah, so _Beyond the Gate_ is on hiatus because fuck JK Rowling, but here's a Halloween fic! This is partially based off an amazing _CSI: Vegas_ fic by WitchGirl, go and check it out at s/7450857/. Happy Halloween!

* * *

Josuke Higashikata: age 27, resident of Morioh, hates paperwork. The man in question slumped lower in his desk chair as he gazed at the remaining stack of police reports he had to review and digitize.

"Sit up, Higashikata." The Chief called as he passed Josuke's storage closet/office.

Josuke had been doomed to the cruel fate of desk work for two weeks as punishment for threatening to beat up a high schooler for making fun of his hair. It was only day four, and he was already ready to die. He didn't even have the benefit of having Okuyasu helping, because he had been out sick on the day in question and therefore was still allowed to patrol the streets of Morioh. He, on the other hand, was stuck working filing in swing shift.

"Hello."

In the doorway stood an unfamiliar officer. He was perhaps a few years younger than Josuke, and a few inches taller. The only thing notable about his rather plain appearance was a bright blue bandanna tied around his neck.

"I'm Patrol Officer Ichiro. I'm here from S City to replace Officer Kobayakawa while she's on her honeymoon. I'm a little lost, though. Do you know where Traffic is?"

"Oh, hi, I'm Josuke Higashikata. Traffic's just down the hall on your left. Need to me to show you?"

"Ah, no, I got it. Thanks!" The patrolman walked down the hall. Josuke leaned out of the door just enough to see Ichiro sit down at Kobayakawa's desk. Yoriko, the only other person in Traffic, didn't even look up. With a sigh, Josuke turned back to his stack of files.

Josuke finished reading the (excessively long, in his opinion) report of helping a little old lady find her cat, stamped it, and jiggled the mouse on his computer to get rid of the screensaver. He was about to reset the scanner application when he realized that in the corner of his screen, a dated looking instant messenger was open.

 _ **hoshiko94 says**_

 _Hello._

Great, just great. It seemed that his computer had somehow gotten a virus. Josuke clicked the close window button, but another messenger window opened immediately after.

 _ **hoshiko94 says**_

 _I have something to show you._

A link followed. Given that the messages seemed to be spam, it undoubtedly went to a porn site or an ad-ridden 'news' site that carried even more viruses. Josuke wasn't going to fall for that. He clicked the X in the corner of the messenger.

 _Are you sure you want to close this instant message conversation?_ YES - CANCEL

Josuke clicked yes. Another text box opened up.

 _You're going to want to see this video, Josuke_. YES - CANCEL

Josuke stood up. He instantly knew it was some sort of prank. But who could it be? The Chief wouldn't do this, Okuyasu would be asleep and didn't have the computer skills to pull this off, and he wasn't really close enough to any of the other officers to explain them doing this. Could it be Rohan, somehow? But, no, Koichi had said he had gone to Italy to complain about a heirloom bag or something.

Curious, Josuke sat back down and gingerly clicked the cancel button. A web browser immediately opened. A grainy video loaded. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust, but Josuke could make out the form of a naked couple on a bed.

"Holy shit, it is porn!" Josuke cursed. "And it's shitty porn, too." The video was from an awkward dutch angle, and every so often a white line floated up and across the screen.

He clicked the X on the browser. Nothing. Again. Nothing. Not even a furious flurry of clicking did anything. Josuke shot up, knocking his rolling chair away to bang against the wall.

The couple on the bed began to finish up.

Josuke tried task manager. The browser refused to close.

The woman sat up. "Worth it, huh, big boy?" Her voice was garbled.

Jabbing the power button on the CPU did nothing.

The man didn't respond, instead climbing off and grabbing something from under the bed.

Josuke debating trying Crazy Diamond as he dug through the nest of wires behind his desk to find the plug for his computer.

"A-ha!" He pulled the plug triumphantly.

The shriek cut shrilly through the air, causing Josuke to sit up so fast he knocked his head on the underside of his desk. It sounded as if it had come from right behind him. He scuttled out from under the table.

It was as if the cord had been providing power for everything in the room, not just the computer. The overhead lights had turned off, leaving the room lit only by the eerie glow of the monitor.

On the screen, in sudden crystal clarity, the woman lay on the bed, her throat cut wide open. The man kneeled above her body, holding a bloody knife. The camera, which Josuke had assumed was on a tripod, began to shake, and the sound of a muffled gasp came from behind it. The man looked up, directly into the camera, before the screen froze and the monitor turned off with a zap.

Josuke was left alone in the dark. His heart pounded in his chest, and his mouth was dry.

A moment later, the fluorescent lights turned back on with a whine. The scanner rebooted, beeping quietly. The sound of people working down the hall filtered back into Josuke's ears.

Josuke let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His hands fidgeted through his pockets to find a comb to fix his hair.

The image of the dead woman, and the man looking at the camera was seared into his mind.

He tucked the comb back into his pocket absentmindedly. He summoned Crazy Diamond to watch his back as he plugged the computer back in. The fans whined as the CPU rebooted.

"DORA!" Crazy Diamond's punch shattered the tower, before the familiar glow of its power bound the computer back together.

The fanfare of Windows Vista played. Then, a notification as the instant messenger app opened again.

 _ **hoshiko94 says**_

 _Hello._

So, Crazy Diamond couldn't fix viruses. Ignoring the messenger window (and the whisper of intuition that said it wasn't a virus), Josuke pulled up the antivirus software.

 _ **hoshiko94 says**_

 _What did you think of the video?_

Josuke almost bit his lip. He started the antivirus scanner.

 _ **hoshiko94 says**_

 _I'm not a virus, Josuke._

The cursor blinked on and off. His fingers hesitantly pecked out a reply.

 _ **Higashikata_Diamond says**_

 _What was that?_

There was a pause where it seemed that it wouldn't respond.

 _ **hoshiko94 says**_

 _Does it help?_

 _ **Higashikata_Diamond says**_

 _Help with what?_

 _ **hoshiko94 says**_

 _Taro Yamada cold case, November 1994. TY-94-1348_

Maybe this was some sort of hacker. It admittedly wouldn't be too difficult to hack the files of Morioh's small police department, but why, and why this case specifically?

 _ **Higashikata_Diamond says**_

 _Maybe. Where did you get that video?_

 _ **hoshiko94 says**_

 _Rte. 182-3, just before the tunnel._

 _ **Higashikata_Diamond says**_

 _Is that where you are?_

 _ **hoshiko94 says**_

 _I'll bring the shovel._

With that, the messenger window closed. Josuke was left staring at the Morioh Police desktop. Was it a prank or a joke? But what if it wasn't?

The thought of Reimi and Kira crossed his mind. Could he forgive himself if there was a danger threatening his town and he ignored it?

Josuke shrugged on his jacket and stood.

"Excuse me?"

Josuke nearly jumped a foot in the air.

Ichiro stood in the doorway again.

"This folder ended up on my desk, but it definitely isn't Traffic."

Ichiro handed him a thin manila folder. "Here, I'll take a look-" Josuke stopped, staring at the label on the tab: _Taro Yamada 94/11/04_.

"What's wrong?" Ichiro asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

Josuke shook it off. "Uh, you sure you didn't see anyone leave this on your desk? Y'know, maybe a patrolman with scars on his face? Short guy with a flat top?"

Ichiro frowned. "No, I didn't see anyone. I guess it just got put in the wrong department."

"This is a cold case, from 1994."

"1994? Oh, I remember Japan won third in the Baseball World Cup."

Josuke opened the file. The front page was a typewritten, badly photocopied police report. _Unidentified headless male body found on rocks of cape. Time of death within last 48 hours. Foul play heavily suspected._ The sparse report was signed by a Det. Ryuichi Yamamura. The only other page was a similarly poorly photocopied picture. At first, Josuke couldn't tell what the grainy photograph was of- but then the pixels aligned and he realized it was a mottled torso, missing a head.

He slammed the folder shut. Josuke couldn't get the image out of his mind, though. He stood there a moment.

"Are you going somewhere?" Ichiro asked.

He had forgotten that the other officer was there. "Um, what do you mean?"

"You have your jacket on."

"Oh, yeah. There's something I need to go check out."

Ichiro quirked a bushy eyebrow. "Really? Bit mysterious. Something personal?"

"No, it's… actually, it's something about the case."

"Isn't that supposed to be the detectives' job?"

"This is off the record."

Ichiro smirked. "Need someone to come with you, y'know, watch your back?"

Josuke paused and sized up the other. Something about him reminded him of Jotaro; maybe it was his straightforwardness. "Alright. Let's go."

* * *

The night was moonless, with only the light of Josuke's motorcycle's headlights to illuminate the road ahead. This meager light, however, did not make it difficult to recognize where it was the mysterious messages had sent him. He pulled to a stop just past Trussardi's restaurant, in front of Kunimitoge Cemetery.

Josuke waited a few moments for Ichiro, but after not seeing the light of his patrol bike coming around the bend, he decided to just get it over with.

His flashlight flickered pathetically as he walked among the rows of tall, narrow monuments. He had passed Keicho's grave, nearer to the front gates. The Higashikata family plot, where his grandfather's ashes had been buried, was somewhere to his left. The beam of his flashlight caught what might have been movement among the older graves in the back corner of the graveyard.

"Hey, who's there?" He called, turning to wander deeper in to catch sight of what it was.

It was the wooden handle of a shovel, stuck upright in the soil in front of a marker. The marker itself was marked 太郎 山田 and 花子 山田: Taro Yamada and Hanako Yamada. A grave for those who had no name or had lost it in death. This was the grave of the unidentified body in the cold case file.

"No way. I'm not going to dig up a grave."

In his pocket, his cheap phone buzzed. He opened it, wincing as the light of the screen stung his eyes.

 _Just dig. Please. I want you to._

The number said _**RESTRICTED**_. Josuke shook his head, then looked back at the monument.

"I don't even know what I'm looking for," he muttered.

Another text message: _I'll tell you what to look for after you dig me up. I promise._

Josuke almost dropped his phone. "So you are a ghost?" This time, the mysterious writer did not reply.

He stood there in the dim light of his phone screen for a moment, before he carefully bent down to untie his shoes. He also pulled his socks off, setting them at a distance where they wouldn't get soiled.

The soil was heavy and slightly damp. Above him, the sky threatened rain, hiding the stars. Fortunately, the vault was only about a meter down. Josuke carefully climbed out of the hole. He summoned Crazy Diamond, who tore the cover off with a muted "Dora!". Within the vault lay a dozen plain urns, marked in neat calligraphy with dates. Josuke climbed back in.

He gently shifted a few dusty urns. One set in the corner was marked 'November 1994'. Josuke picked it up and brushed off the layer of dust.

His phone buzzed again. _Open it._

Josuke quietly muttered a Shinto prayer before carefully twisting open the lid of the urn, breaking the seal. There, on the top, lay three floppy disks and a VHS tape.

"Is this what I'm looking for?" he asked, not knowing who would answer. With no response, he carefully pulled the artifacts of an earlier age of computing from the urn, shaking them to remove what he was hyperaware was human ash. Josuke replaced the lid of the urn, and summoned Crazy Diamond to fix the seal.

Suddenly, a black duffel bag fell into the hole. "...Thanks." He deposited the disks and the tape in the bag. Scrabbling at the edge of the pit, Josuke pulled himself out.

"Y'know, I could have given you a hand, if you asked." Ichiro said.

"Ah-!" Josuke almost slid back into the hole. "When did you get here?!"

"Only a few minutes ago. Who did you think gave you the bag?"

Josuke didn't answer, instead pulling out his comb to fix his hair. He was covered in mud. At least it was only his uniform and he had a spare.

Ichiro grinned. "Heh, if I'd known we were going grave robbing, I'd have changed out of my uniform."

Josuke stood up carefully, eyeing the patrolman, getting just the slightest feeling of something strangely familiar. He summoned Crazy Diamond. No reaction. Not even a few practice swings at him did anything. _So that rules him out as a Stand User, I guess_. Josuke turned to look at the open grave. With a wave of his hand, Crazy Diamond carefully repaired the vault.

"Well, we should cover them up. Get them all back to resting in peace."

Ichiro's smile disappeared and he nodded, picking up the shovel himself. Above, the skies opened and rain began to fall.

* * *

"Okay, but what am I supposed to do with these? I haven't even seen a computer with a disk drive in years." Josuke said, looking at the disks and tape that he'd laid out on his desk.

"Is it really that hard? Isn't there, y'know, the 'net?"

"Well, I guess, but… hey, wait a minute! Koichi! Koichi'll probably have something!" Josuke scooped the floppies and the tape back into the bag. "Cover for me, okay? I'll be back!" he called over his shoulder as he rushed out the door.

"Alright, but I want to see what you find when you get back, okay?" Ichiro called after him.

* * *

" _What do_ you _think you're doing here at_ ONE-THIRTY _IN THE MORNING?!_ " Yukako hissed, her hair rising up threateningly. She was in a light pink satin nightgown and had an eye mask pushed up on her forehead, but that didn't make her any less terrifying.

Josuke took an involuntary step back. Yukako had mellowed out over the years (relatively…), but she was still a force to be reckoned with when she was angered. "I need to ask Koichi if he has a computer I can borrow."

"Why couldn't this wait until morning? My darling husband needs his sleep."

"It's for a case! Please, Yu-" Josuke cut himself off as Koichi shuffled up behind her in his own green pajamas.

"Hi, Josuke, what's goiii-" Here he stifled a yawn. "-ing on?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, Koichi, but I needed to see if you have a computer that has a floppy drive anywhere?"

The shorter man shifted, clearly more awake. "Is it something for a case?" He took in the police officer's disheveled uniform.

"Yeah." Josuke paused, checking over his shoulder. "I- remember Reimi? I think it's something like that, with this case."

With that, Koichi stood straight up, fully awake now. "Like Reimi? Does that mean something like Kira? Do you need me to help?" The familiar aura of Echoes flared to life around him. Yukako similarly tensed beside him.

"No, I don't think it's at that point. But I do need to see what's on these disks. Do you have anything that can read a floppy?"

Koichi paused for a moment in thought. "I have an old '98 that I think has one. It's in the basement, but if you need to borrow it you can take it with you."

"Thanks! You're always a reliable guy, Koichi!"

It only took a few minutes to find the old computer in the basement of the Hirose's house. Luckily, it did indeed have a floppy drive. Josuke carefully carried the CPU up the stairs under one arm. At the top of the stairs, he clapped Koichi on the shoulder, thanking him again.

"I hope that helps, Josuke."

"I'm sure it'll work great! Now, go back to bed, alright?"

Koichi nodded and held his hand out to Yukako, who took it. "You had better catch whoever it is, so my darling doesn't have to worry." She sniffed, before leading Koichi back to their bedroom.

Josuke gave a only slightly sarcastic salute goodbye.

* * *

From there it was only a matter of connecting the monitor to the tower and trying the floppies. There was always the chance that the ferromagnetic drives had been damaged by being buried, but it seemed that all three were in good condition. What filled them were files and files of text entries, marked with dates: a journal.

Josuke was about to open the oldest when a knock on the frame of his office startled him. He looked up to see the Chief looking at him with look that was somehow both suspicious, confused, and an almost pride. "It's good to see that you're working so hard, Higashikata, but you should clock out and go home. It's almost three and I can't authorize any overtime."

"Oh, er, sure." As he said it, Josuke realized how tired he really was. Turns out filing, digging up a grave, and messing around with dated technology could really take it out of you. At least he would be able to get some sleep before continuing his private investigation. Before he left, however, he discreetly summoned Crazy Diamond. A quick look over his shoulder ensured no one was watching him as he crushed the doorknob of the closet/office. With that, Josuke went home for a well-deserved rest.

* * *

That night when Josuke arrived at five he was met by the door to his office by Ichiro. "So what was on the disks?"

"I haven't gotten to actually reading them yet, but they're full of text files. I think it's a journal." A quick pass with Crazy Diamond fixed the doorknob, and he stepped in. Ichiro followed him, leaning over the back of the chair to watch the screen as the computer booted up.

The files were indeed a journal. The entries, starting from the oldest, detailed the life of a recent college graduate who had moved to Morioh from S City. Each one was signed 'Joey' in Latin text. At first, Joey had resented moving to Morioh, disliking the relatively small town life. However, the town had grown on him. He had bought half a duplex in an area towards the southern part of town, near a shrine and overlooking the Ichio River. Alongside daily events of his life, Joey discussed then-current pop culture, and also talked frequently of his love for baseball. He seemed a pleasant and upstanding, if blunt, kind of guy, who Josuke could see himself getting along with.

Over time, however, the tone of Joey's journal entries changed. His neighbor, a man he only referred to R, was present more and more in the entries. At first, R had seemed to be a normal if abrasive man, but Joey had found his behavior increasingly strange. R, who worked night shifts at a restaurant downtown, would drive to S City and return with strange women at odd hours, usually then driving them back the next morning. At first, Joey had written it off as a failure of memory or simply missing their departure, but he had realized that sometimes the women didn't go home the next morning, or the next, or the next. In the days after such an event, R would be in an almost manic mood. Joey recorded the dates these incidents occurred, along with his other worrying observations: a woman's scream that sounded too real for a movie, clothes burned in the incinerator, a glimpse of a stack of high heels through a window.

In the last entry on the disks, Joey detailed his concerns and a plan he had formed to get some form of physical evidence he could bring to the police: he had bought a video camera and planned to sneak into R's half of the duplex while he was at work that night. It was dated November 2nd, 1994.

Josuke stared at the screen silently for a moment. "He was the one filming in the video."

"What video? Do you mean this tape?" Ichiro held up the VHS. "Have you watched it yet? And what proof do we have that any of this legit? This could be just some kid's writing project or something."

"I haven't watched the video yet, but why would any of it end up in an urn of an unidentified body from a cold case? Joey has to be the one in the cemetery."

"Perhaps." Ichiro agreed. "But is Joey even his real name? And who's R? Did he get arrested for anything?"

"Well… he mentions that he graduated from Abba College in S City in '93 with a bachelor's in computer science? Lists of college grads are publically available, maybe there's someone on the roll named something like Joey."

Ichiro shrugs, and Josuke goes to the online archives of Abba College. Fortunately, it was a small community college, and the list of 1993 graduates in computer science was only about 100 names.

It's here that they find a solid lead in the form of a single line: 譲一郎 天上. Joichiro Tenjou.

"It's him. There's no doubt in my mind." Josuke stated.

"Was he ever reported missing?"

"Give me a minute…" Josuke pulled up the missing persons database. The list for Morioh was long, but only had a few men on it. "His boss reported him missing November 11. He stopped coming into work and didn't answer the phone or the door. There's no next of kin."

"Alright, I'll bite, but who then is R?"

"He bought a duplex near the river, right?" From there, it's simply a matter of accessing the city property records and searching for mentions of Joichiro's name. Only one search result: it's for a modest duplex. In the intervening sixteen years, Joichiro's half has been sold twice. The owner of the other half of the duplex is registered as one Mr. Akira Ros.

"Could Ros be R?" Ichiro asked.

"But why would he stay in the same place?" However, the records state that Ros had owned the property since 1988. "Just how arrogant is this guy?"

Josuke could almost feel his hair stand on end from anger that somehow this man had not been caught or brought to justice for his crimes. But this time, he was a member of the police. There wasn't going to be an ambulance to run him down; Josuke had to bring Ros to justice himself.

* * *

"So, Higashikata, you're telling me that someone anonymously sent you a tip to dig up a grave, where you found floppy disks, that supposedly implicate a man as a serial killer?"

"Yes sir." Okay, so when the Chief put it like that it sounded bad. Josuke wasn't backing down, though.

The Chief frowned and laced his fingers together, elbows on the table. "You seem quite convinced."

"I'm willing to turn in my badge if you won't take this seriously. There's at least some proof that someone has been murdering in this town, and I want to see him brought to justice."

The Chief sat up straighter. "There's no need to be so hasty, Higashikata. Alright, let me see the case file. Who was the detective on it?" He opened the file. "Ryuichi Yamamura…" The Chief winced. "He committed suicide nine years ago. Damn. He would have been the best source for any information."

"That doesn't mean he was the only source of information. Even if he isn't R, Ros should know something about Tenjou's disappearance, right?" Josuke's eyes burned with a determination.

The Chief read the brief case file again. "Alright. File for a warrant and if the judge grants it I'll give you full control over the case."

* * *

Which was how Josuke ended up with one Akira Ros sitting in the interrogation room. The man was in his late forties or early fifties. He had a mop of graying reddish hair that hung over his eyes, which were also hidden behind thick glasses. Ros sat in the chair silently picking at the sleeves of the oversized argyle cardigan he wore over a long seersucker button up and khaki slacks.

The Chief stepped up next to where Josuke and Ichiro stood in front of the two-way mirror. "Well, it's your show, Higashikata. Go on."

Josuke nodded. He filed in and sat across from Ros. The man in question looked up, anger burning in his eyes.

"I want my lawyer and to know what I'm being accused of."

Josuke straightened the stack of files he carried on the table nonchalantly. "Mr. Ros, this is merely an interview, not an interrogation. You haven't been arrested. We just want some information. So, do you know anything about the disappearance of Joichiro Tenjou?"

Ros scowled. "No. Nothing. Was that all you wanted to know, or am not I allowed to leave?"

"No. Have you heard anything about a series of murders in Morioh?"

Ros visibly wilted before sitting back up angrily. "No, no I don't. I want to see my lawyer."

Josuke glared. "You really don't know anything? Is that what you're going to go for?" Behind him, the door opened and Ichiro walked in.

Ros went pale, though it could have been from anger or fear.

Ichiro leaned on the back of Josuke's chair. "Show him your birthmark, Josuke."

He turned around, startled. "Wha- how did you know about it?"

Ichiro smiled mysteriously. "Just trust me, Josuke. I want to see this man brought to justice just as much as you do."

Ros continued staring at Ichiro. "You- you- how are you-?"

Josuke carefully undid his anchor pin that fastened his uniform shirt collar shut and pulled the fabric aside. "Ros. Check this out."

The man across the table dragged his eyes away from Ichiro. As soon as his eyes landed on the star on Josuke's shoulder he cried out, his chair skidding away from the table.

"You killed Joichiro Tenjou and all those women, didn't you." Josuke said. Sweat poured down Ros' face

"I think his conscience is catching up to him, Josuke." Ichiro stood up and walked over to Ros' side of the table.

Spittle flew from Ros' mouth as he panicked, eyes glued to the birthmark. "Yes, yes, I did it. I killed Tenjou. And the women from S City- they're under my house. Please, please, just keep him away from me."

Josuke looked at Ichiro and gestured for him to go. He smiled, mysteriously, then slipped out just as the Chief came in with handcuffs. Akira Ros collapsed in his chair, foaming at the mouth, and fell unconscious.

* * *

After the arrest, Josuke went back to his office, stopping along the way to roll the ancient cathode ray TV and its VHS from its home in an alcove to his desk. With Ros awaiting trial, Josuke could now go through the remaining evidence. The tape was conveniently already rewound, so all he had to do was push the tape in and press play.

The video opened with a shaky shot of a front door. A mostly silent tour of the house ensued, save for the sounds of footsteps and opening doors. There was a stack of high heels, at least a dozen pairs, in a hall closet, and a pair of concrete encrusted boots under the kitchen table. It was as the cameraperson opened the door to the basement that a door in the background slammed.

There was an almost inaudible gasp from behind the camera before the cinematographer closed the basement door behind them and carefully walked down the steps. The basement was dark and unfinished, with open spaces in the floor and foundation. The cameraperson, almost certainly Joichiro, crouched behind a stack of milk crates only moments before the lights of the basement flipped on.

It was the same basement from the video hoshiko94 sent him, Josuke was certain. A bed was now visible against the far wall. A man, now identifiable as a younger Ros, and a woman in skimpy clothes and pumps climbed down the stairs and sat on the bed.

Josuke carefully held down the fast-forward button on the VHS player. A knock on his door interrupted his concentration. The Chief stood in the doorway. "Is that the video tape?" He walked in to stand behind Josuke's chair to watch.

Josuke nodded, focused on the VHS. He stopped just as Ros pulled the long knife from under the bed and stabbed the woman in the gut. She shrieked as Ros pulled the knife out and slashed it across her throat. She collapsed on the bed. The camera shook and Joichiro gasped. Ros looked up, directly at the camera, his face twisted in anger. The camera fell to the ground. A moment later, the sound of a knife cutting through fabric and flesh seemed to resound in the small office. On screen, Joichiro collapsed just before the camera, blood pouring from his mouth. It was only now, Josuke realized that he was seeing Joichiro's actual face.

He seemed young and familiar.

"Wow, he looks exactly like Ichiro."

"Who's Ichiro?" The Chief asked.

Josuke sent him a confused glance. "He's the patrolman who's filling in for Kobayakawa. He was in the interrogation with me."

The Chief didn't look any less bewildered. "Kobayakawa's replacement isn't supposed to show up until Monday. And Higashikata, you were the only one in there."

"What? No, he was there. He's a bit younger than me, taller?"

The Chief continued to stare. "Maybe you've been working too hard."

Onscreen, Ros continued stabbing Joichiro's lifeless body. The young man's torn shirt was caught on the bolster of the blade. The shirt pulled away to reveal a star-shaped birthmark on Joichiro's shoulder. Josuke stared at the birthmark, mind blank.

In his pocket, his phone buzzed. On autopilot, he pulled it out and flipped it open. There was a single text message in his inbox, plain as day.

 _Joey and Ichiro are both short for Joichiro, you know. Thanks a lot, Josuke. You were great. *_

Josuke couldn't help but smile, despite the goose bumps springing up all over his skin.

THE END

* * *

Alright, so a bit of explanation for references: Abba College is obviously named after the amazing Swedish band.  
Ros is named after Ros Serey Sothea, an amazing Cambodian rock singer who you all should check out, and Akira because I just finished _Devilman Lady_.  
The Chief, Kobayakawa, and Yoriko are all from _You're Under Arrest!_ and detective Ryuichi Yamamura is from the names of two characters from _Taiyou ni Hoero!_ , a classic Japanese police drama (its theme song is also famous because of Filthy Frank…).  
Joichiro's last name Tenjou is from the main character of _Revolutionary Girl Utena_.  
Ichiro wears a bandanna because JJBA ghosts keep their death wounds and it keeps his head on. I made it blue because it's sort of a Joestar color.  
Joichiro is a Joestar, but his mother accidentally fell through a wormhole from the post _Stone Ocean_ universe and thus isn't actually related to any of this universe's Joestars. He also doesn't have a stand or any sort of powers other than being a ghost.

Ros' outfit is based on this Gucci fashion show piece: 66*dot*media*dot*tumblr*dot*com*slash*0805d98afd03d0248656d4ac30658e45*slash*tumblr_p4ifj7CY951s6d7dto7_1280*dot*jpgAlso, the interrogation bit is based on my own Criminal Investigations class notes. People who aren't guilty immediately get angry when accused, whereas guilty people often 'wilt' beforehand and avoid the actual issue when rebutting.

(Miyuki Kobayakawa's on honeymoon with her husband Ken Nakajima and wife Natsume Tsujimoto because I can :P)


End file.
